Peter DeHaan

Most virtual receptionist services will answer your phone twenty-four hours-a-day, seven days-a-week. They often call this 24/7. Beware, not all 24/7 coverage is the same.

Switching answering services is easy – if you follow a few basic steps. Yet not having a methodical plan can result in unneeded aggravations or avoidable problems. Take these simple steps to ensure a smooth, hassle-free transition to your new telephone answering service...

Do you need to make sure your business phone is always answered? Maybe you’re concerned about covering the lunch hour or when your receptionist is on a break (or sick or on vacation). Perhaps you need help with your phone during staff meetings or training. Some businesses struggle to answer phone calls after hours or on weekends. Then there is the worry about calls coming in faster than your staff can handle them. The answer is not to hire another employee or banish your callers to voicemail jail. The answer is a virtual receptionist.

It seems every telephone answering service bills differently. Let’s look at three common answering service billing plans, with two variations. Everything else is just a variant of one of these:

Every client of a telephone answering service wants to have every call answered by a person on the first ring and never place a caller on hold. I understand that. When we make a phone call we don’t want to hear the phone ring. We don’t want to wait on hold. We don’t want any delays. We seek instant access.